Improved gate-latch



ENITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. OTIS FRINK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

IMPROVED GATE-LATCH.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 [,710, dated December26, 1865.

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, E. O'rts FRINK, of thecity of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Latch for I asteniug Gates, &c.; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exactdeseriptionthereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of the invention consists in the peculiar construction andoperation ot the said latch. The said latch is to be made of iron,brass, or any other suitable metal.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iproceed to describe its construction and operation as follows:

The latch consists of a slide (represented by l) D of No. l of the saiddra\\'ings,) which said slide is provided with a latch, K, ahandle, l5,and a slot, [1, all of which are represented by said No.1 of saiddrmvings. The sliding latch operates in asuitablc cover, (represented byA A of the said dra\\'ings,) the same being, when arranged for itsproper operation, as represented by A A l) K of No. 3 of thesaiddrawings. Through the said slot- L of the slide 1) 1) passes a. properscrew, which secures a proper parting-plate to the said cover A A, andthe said slot being of sutlicient length the said slide is free to moveunobstructed by the said screws. The said cover is provided with ashield or basket (represented by )I I 1 ;\I of No. 3 of said drawings)to protect the said handle E and prevent said latch from beingimproperly opened by animals or by accident. This said basketorshield isprovided with two thumb-rests, one directly above the other. Connectedwith each is a proper aperture, (represented by I of No. 3 of saiddra-wings,) whereby the thumb is enabled to rest on the edge of the saidshield or basket at F, thereby obviating the necessity of ashoulder forthat purpose. By means of constructing the upper and lower half of saidlatch exactly similar it can be used either as a right or left handlatch at pleasure, the whole being, when properly attached to the gate,as represented by No. 3 of the said drawings.

\Yhen the motion of the gate in closing has carried the latch Kf'arenough it will impinge upon the beveled edge of the catch G. Thesaid slide D D, being free to move, will be raised and caused to slideupward in said cover by the said latch K moving on the inclined planemade by beveling the edge of the said catch G, and thereby allow thesaid latch ii to pass over the said catch G. When the said latch K haspassed beyond the beveled edge of the said G the weight of the saidslide 1) I) will cause it. to fall into a proper notch ot' the saidcatch G, where it will be firmly held. To open the latch the thumb isplaced on the said thumb-rest F, and the said handle E is drawn up withthe forefinger, which lifts the said latch K out of the notch of thesaid catch G, and the gate is then free to open.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The said sliding latch, when the same is constructed with theprojecting portion K, the slot. L, and handle E, and operatedsubstantially as set forth.

L. The said shield or basket M F F M, when constructed aml appliedsubstantially as set forth.

3. The improved device as a whole, con structed and operatedsubstantially as set forth.

OTIS FRINK.

AIICSI;

U. E. W. DONALD, H. A. MOORE, H. DAVIS.

